Cardigan Welsh Corgi

The Cardigan Welsh Corgi likes to keep busy. An even temper and adaptability are his best qualities. He likes going along with his family on their activities. He tends to be somewhat serious. He is suspicious of strangers but gets along well with other animals, though he's an avid mouse catcher.

Cardigan Welsh Corgi breed facts

The Cardigan was brought to Wales by the Celts about 1200 B.C.

Information you should know before owning a Cardigan Welsh Corgi

The Cardigan Welsh Corgi is a handsome and powerful dog, capable of both speed and endurance.

The Cardigan's coat is medium in length, thick, and dense. The coat is known to shed. If you have a problem with hair you may want to consider another breed.

They adapt to any temperature from 20 degrees below zero to 110 above, or from a warm bed to a cold floor. Cardigans have a special affinity for children and will adapt their playing to fit a child, senior citizen or even the handicapped.

The Cardigan Welsh Corgi, the Corgi with the tail, is the older of the two Corgi breeds, and one of the earliest breeds in the British Isles.

In the beginning, the Corgi came to the high country now known as Cardiganshire with the tall, tawny-headed Celts from Central Europe. The migration of this warrior tribe to Wales is placed, roughly, at about 1200 B.C., which means that the Corgi has been known in the land whence its name comes for more than 3,000 years. The dog was a member of the same family that has produced the Dachshund.

The occupation which made the Corgi worth his weight in gold to those Welsh hillmen came at a much later period, but still hundreds of years ago. This was when the Crown owned practically all land, and the tenant farmers, or crofters, were permitted to fence off only a few acres surrounding their dooryards. The rest was open country, known as common land, on which the crofter was permitted to graze his cattle, one of the chief sources of his meager income. It can be imagined that there was great competition among the crofters to secure as much as possible of this pasture land for their own uses, and the task would have been difficult had it not been for the Corgi. The little dog which had been with this Celtic people so long, and which had come to be of almost human intelligence, was trained to perform a service the opposite of that done by the herding dog. Instead of herding the cattle, the Corgi would nip at their heels and drive them as far afield as desired.

The division of the Crown lands, their subsequent sale to the crofters, and the appearance of fences, removed the usefulness of the Corgi He was still retained as guard and companion by some of the hillmen, but to most he was a luxury they could not afford. In many instances he was succeeded by the red herder and by the brindle herder. The original type of Corgi known in Bronant since time immemorial became very scarce, and it is due only to the greatest care on the part of modern breeders that the old strains have been preserved.

The principal strains of the Cardigan Welsh Corgi of today go back to the old Bronant Corgi with a slight infusion of brindle herder blood. This dog approximates as nearly as possible the dog that enjoyed his greatest popularity in Cardiganshire a century and more ago.

The two Corgi breeds were regarded officially in England as one breed divided into two types until 1934, when they were recognized as separate breeds. Up until that time they had been interbred to some extent, and sorting out the two breeds became a difficult task. In 1934, 250 Pembrokes were registered to only 59 Cardigans. The Cardigan was considered to be less uniform in type at that time and the breed nearly disappeared in its native Wales.

The first pair of Cardigans imported to the United States (by Mrs. Robert Bole of Boston) arrived in June 1931. The breed was admitted for AKC registration in 1935.

Is this a vulnerable breed? Yes, No	Yes
What size is this dog? Small, Medium, Large	Medium
How much excercise is required? 30 mins a day, 1 hour a day, Over 2 hours a day	1 hour a day
How long is this dog's coat? Short, Medium, Long	Short
How much grooming is required? Once a week, More than once a week, Every day	More than once a week
Does this dog shed? Does shed, Does not shed	Does shed
What area is this dog best suited to? Town, Country, Either	Either
What size house is required for this breed? Flat/Apartment, Small House, Large House	Small House
What size of garden is required? Small Garden, Large Garden, No Garden	Small garden

	General Appearance Sturdy, tough, mobile, capable of endurance. Long in proportion to height, terminating in fox-like brush, set in line with body.
	Characteristics Alert, active and intelligent.
	Temperament Alert, intelligent, steady, not shy or aggressive.
	Eyes Medium size, clear, giving kindly, alert but watchful expression. Rather widely set with corners clearly defined. Preferably dark, to blend with coat, rims dark. One or both eyes pale blue, blue or blue flecked, permissible only in blue merles.
	Mouth Teeth strong, with scissor bite, i.e. upper teeth closely overlapping lower teeth and set square to the jaws.
	Neck Muscular, well developed, in proportion to dog’s build, fitting into well sloping shoulders.
	Forequarters Shoulders well laid, angulated at approximately 90 degrees to upper arm; muscular, elbows close to sides. Strong bone carried down to feet. Legs short but body well clear of the ground, forearms slightly bowed to mould round the chest. Feet turned slightly outwards.
	Body Chest moderately broad with prominent breast bone. Body fairly long and strong, with deep brisket, well sprung ribs. Clearly defined waist. Topline level.
	Hindquarters Strong, well angulated and aligned with muscular thighs and second thighs, strong bone carried down to feet, legs short; when standing, hocks vertical, viewed from side and rear.
	Feet Round, tight, rather large and well padded. All dewclaws to be removed.
	Tail Like a fox’s brush, set in line with the body and moderately long (to touch or nearly touch ground). Carried low when standing but may be lifted a little above body when moving, not curled over back.
	Gait / Movement Sturdy, tough, mobile, capable of endurance. Long in proportion to height, terminating in fox-like brush, set in line with body.
	Coat Short or medium of hard texture. Weather-proof, with good undercoat. Preferably straight.
	Colour Any colour, with or without white markings, but white should not predominate.
	Size Height: ideal 30 cms (12 ins) at shoulder. Weight in proportion to size with overall balance the prime consideration.